Burke, 29, is out of contract in the summer and has not been able to replicate the superb form of the previous campaign, which earned him player-of-the-season and players’ player honours.

With Blues need to sell in the January window well known, and Lee Clark only able to bring players in once others have gone - subject to budget constraints - there’s bound to be plenty of hard thinking done at St Andrew’s.

But the bottom line, despite whatever wheeler dealing Clark might have in mind, if Forest keep banging on the door and go higher, McLeish is likely to get his man.